


Folie à Deux

by thehornsofmischief



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Anxiety Disorder, Depression, F/F, F/M, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, SeaMonkeys, Suicide Attempt, baked alaska
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-15
Updated: 2014-11-15
Packaged: 2018-02-25 13:00:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2622680
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thehornsofmischief/pseuds/thehornsofmischief
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Yang doesn't think about the grief of losing her baby sister Ruby. She keeps it under control, teaching self-defence classes and volunteering at the Vale Care Home in her spare time.<br/>That's how she meets Neo.<br/>That's how her world comes to a screeching halt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys!  
> So, this is what I've been working on. I know I haven't updated my other fics, I've just come to such a block that I can't get through. I'm still trying though.  
> Anyways, enjoy, I guess.  
> <3

"Sup, ladies?"

Yang smiled cockily as she walked through the double doors, propping her aviators on top of her head. As her eyes adjusted to the lobby, she saw Pyrrha smile from behind the counter of the front desk.

"Good morning, Yang."

"Wonderful weather we're having, isn't it?" Yang said, casually leaning one elbow onto the desk and smiling at her co-workers. Coco merely rolled her eyes and gathered her papers.

"Yeah, it's pretty great." She said sarcastically with a glance out of the windows.

The three women turned around and studied the heavily falling snow outside.

"I don't know how you haven't frozen solid." Coco pointedly looked at Yang's outfit, her usual leather jacket and black shorts combo. The only difference was a yellow beanie piled haphazardly onto her hair.

"Hey, I put a hat on! Isn't that enough?"

"We just don't want you to get ill, Yang." Pyrrha said, her eyes fixed on the monitor infront of her as she wrote something down.

"There's no pleasing you two." Yang grumbled.

"By all means, keep trying, sweetie."

Yang scowled playfully in response, making Coco shake her head as she walked off and down to the right wing corridor. The blonde girl pulled her beanie off her head and watched as the snowflakes melted one by one.

"It's not very busy today, is it?"

"No, it isn't. All the more reason you should get in there as soon as possible."

"You're right." Yang sighed, taking up a pen and scribbling her name down on the register. "Who am I seeing today?"

Pyrrha looked down at the rota next to her and found Yang, reading the patient aloud.

"Neopolitan? Weird name."

"I think she prefers to be called Neo." Pyrrha supplied, watching as Yang raised her eyebrows.

"Alrighty then. See you at lunch, Pyrrha."

Yang waved once and began walking the same way Coco had.

"Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"You're in the left wing today."

The...left wing?

"What?" Yang turned around, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Pyrrha merely nodded at her. "But I'm always sent to the right wing."

"And today you're being sent to the left wing."

Yang stood still, watching as Pyrrha continued working on the screen infront of her as if nothing was out of the ordinary. Shaking her head slowly, she crossed the room and hesitantly entered the left wing for the first time.

 

She'd been volunteering at the Vale Care Home for a couple of years now, ever since she was old enough to catch the bus downtown. At this point, she was basically considered part of the staff. Glynda, their boss, even gave her a share of the money every month. She'd spent all of her best moments here, and made friends with all of the patients. It was a major part of her life.

But she'd never been in the left wing before.

From what she understood, the right wing was for the sick and the elderly, and the left wing was for the mentally ill. She always figured she'd never be allowed there because she wasn't a qualified nurse or carer. After all, she was only a volunteer.

Yet here she was, her boots quietly clicking on the linoleum floor, her eyes nervously darting along the bare walls.

 

She passed quite a few rooms, but nothing stood out to her. There was a rec room, a cafeteria, a gym and an art room just like in the right wing. But something was missing. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

Turning a corner, she came to the reception desk. An unfamiliar guy sat behind it.

"Hey." She smiled, leaning on the desk as he looked up. His smile was friendly.

"Hi, you must be Yang."

"The one and only."

"I guess you're wondering where you're meant to go?"

"Yeah. Never been in the left wing before." She said, watching as he rifled through some papers.

"Really? Well, you shouldn't worry too much - I know it seems intimidating at first, but you'll get used to it."

"I'm not intimidated, it's just so...cold, you know?"

He nodded in agreement, reading a sheet of paper. Yang heard a brief shout down a branch of the corridor and looked up, her fighter senses on red alert. The guy chuckled.

"Still not intimidating?"

"Can't blame me." Yang said defensively, taking the piece of paper he handed her. It read, '13C'.

"That's the room you're looking for. Corridor C is just that way." He pointed to the left of them, down another identical corridor.

"Thanks...didn't catch your name."

"Ren."

"Thanks, Ren." Yang smiled and started walking again.

 

When she got to the door, her throat was dry, her heart beating nervously.

"Come on, Yang. You've got nothing to be nervous about. Give 'em your charm." She said to herself, making herself smile. It was going to be fine. They wouldn't give her anything she couldn't handle...right?

Yang took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

 

The room was dim, the daylight coming through the gaps in the blinds. There was a bed in one corner and a bedside table with one plain lamp. Even in the semi-darkness she could see how bare the room was. The only spot of colour was the girl sitting on the bed.

Yang quietly closed the door behind her, drawing up a chair she found behind the door.

"Hey there, Neo. Is it okay if I call you Neo?"

The girl turned to face her, but showed no reaction to her question.

"Umm..." Yang said quietly, all her confidence gone. Neo's eyes were blank as they stared into hers, and if that wasn't strange enough, one of her eyes was brown, the other pink. Like...her hair.

"I love your hair." Yang tried again.

Neo's eyes slowly wandered off again and fixed on the wall.

"I'm your carer for today. Technically I'm just a volunteer, but I'm just so damn good at it they've practically hired me." She joked, watching for any reaction.

"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. Sorry. I'm Yang."

Neo turned to face her again. She nodded politely, and Yang felt a surge of hope; maybe this girl would talk after all. But that was dashed to pieces as Neo slowly turned to face the wall again, not saying a word.

They sat in silence.

 

Yang shifted on her chair, uncomfortable. By this time she'd have the right wing patients laughing and smiling, or at least reacting in some way. But the girl opposite her did nothing, said nothing.

"I'm sorry if this is a rude question...but..."

Neo moved a finger on the bed next to her.

"Can you talk?"

Yang internally winced as Neo turned and shot her a look of steel. Bad question.

She was about to apologise when the other girl's eyes turned softer and she slowly shook her head once. Then her attention was directed at the floor infront of Yang.

"Oh...damn...I'm sorry about that." Yang said sadly. "I mean I know that probably doesn't mean anything to you, and you probably hear sympathy all the time, but..."

Yang stopped and looked away, hating that she couldn't do anything to help Neo. The fighting side of her was wishing she could just punch something then magically return her voice to her - in fights it was always that simple. Well, when you won, anyway. And Yang always won.

The girl sighed in frustration and crossed her arms, leaning back in her chair.

"There's nothing anyone can do?"

Neo didn't react, but that didn't surprise Yang anymore. Instead she took a deep breath a readied herself for a long day of talking.


	2. Chapter 2

"And then I walloped him and he fell right back down again."

Yang laughed, her feet propped up onto the side of the bed. The ghost of a smile flickered across Neo's lips at the story of how Yang beat up a creep that tried to touch her at the bus stop a couple of weeks ago.

 

Yang had been her volunteered carer for approximately three hours now, and she was making Neo almost-smile more than she had ever done in her life.

She'd learned that the blonde girl was funny, energetic, and loved to fight. In fact,  she had attended Beacon Academy, and now taught a hardcore self-defence class here in Vale. She'd told Neo many stories of how she went out to clubs with her friends and had tons of slimy guys hit on her, only to run away with their tails between their legs when she put them in a chokehold.

She said she couldn't stand those types of guys. She said she preferred 'civilised individuals' - or girls (and here she'd winked, only to have Neo roll her eyes).

Yang was like an open flame - she brought Neo out of her shell and made her emotions start to spark.

 

"You're pretty small, you know that?"

Neo narrowed her eyes, making Yang laugh.

"Oh, so you're touchy about your height?"

Neo turned away, giving Yang her answer.

"Sorry. I was just going to say that you remind me of my sister."

Neo turned to look at her, just in time to see Yang's face fall a little before her usual bright expression returned.

"Yeah, I have a sister. Haven't I mentioned her before?"

Neo shook her head.

"Well, my bad. Her name was Ruby."

Was. Neo looked at Yang, a sympathetic look in her eyes. The other girl sighed softly before saying,

"Yeah. She died."

Neo wanted to say she was sorry, but she couldn't. So instead she put a hand on Yang's foot, her pale fingers resting on the leather of her boot. The movement was gentle and hesitant. Yang smiled softly, her eyes warm.

Neo couldn't remember the last time she touched someone without meaning to harm them. She couldn't even remember the last time she tried to comfort someone. Or if anyone even tried to comfort her.

Before her hands began to shake, she pulled them back into her lap and looked away.

 

"So, anyway. I was talking about how you remind me of Ruby." Yang said, her voice light again. "She was tiny too. Not as tiny as you, though, you set the bar."

Neo turned to look at the teasing smile on the other girl's face and willed herself to loosen up.

"Ofcourse she was only 11 when she..."

They fell silent again. Neo wondered what had happened - why she had been that young. Too young.

"I always used to pull her into these huge hugs, because she could never get away. I just used to squeeze and listen to her squeal." Yang laughed, mimicking the movement with her arms.

Neo wondered if she imagined her sister was there when she embraced the air. She looked down at her hands and noticed her fingernails were digging into her palms. Her breathing turned shallow.

"Do you have any siblings?"

Neo shook her head once.

"You know, everyone always says siblings are so annoying. In any other situation I would tell you you're lucky. But it's true what they say - you don't know what you have until you lose it."

Neo blinked hard, trying to control herself. She could feel an attack coming on. Something about Yang, about her little sister, about death, about all these emotions swimming around inside her head made it harder to control.

She had to tell Yang to get out.

 

"Hey, are you okay?"

Neo looked up, shaking her head quickly. She pointed towards the door.

"What? Why are your eyes..."

Neo pointed again, her chest rising and falling as she gulped down air.

"Are you okay? Neo?"

Neo reached over to the bedside table and pressed her panic button, pointing again to the door.

"Neo?"

Neo could feel herself losing control.

She backed up into the corner of the bed, pulling her legs up with her.

"What's wrong?" Yang asked, her voice louder and panicked. Neo held out a hand to stop her from coming closer.

 

Suddenly two carers came in the door, pushing Yang to the side and going straight to the girl curled up on the bed.

"What's going on? What's wrong with her?" Yang asked. One of them, the man, turned around and spoke to her.

"I need you to leave."

"What?"

"Please, I need you to leave for your own safety." He began to push her out of the door.

"Don't touch me! I want to know what's wrong!" Yang shouted over the sounds of struggle coming from the bed. She tried to see what was going on, but the carers blocked her view.

"Please calm down. We can talk later and -"

"She needs help. I want to help!"

Neo let out a strangled noise from the bed.

"You're hurting her!"

"We're not -"

The lamp and bedside table crashed to the floor. Both of the carers rushed to Neo, who was thrashing and kicking. Yang stood still in shock. Another person pushed past her and went to help them.

Just as Neo kicked one of the carers in the stomach, Ren appeared at her side, lightly pulling her out of the room and closing the door.

"Come with me, Yang. I'll explain."


	3. Chapter 3

"What the hell happened in there?"

"Neopolitan has a lot of problems, Yang."

Ren sighed and motioned for Yang to sit down. She stayed standing, her arms crossed and her face resolute.

"Like what?"

"Before she came here, she was...some things happened. It's difficult to explain." Ren rubbed his eyes and took a deep breath. He was thankful that Yang didn't badger him any more - she just waited quietly.

"I can't say much, I don't even know the whole story, but I do know that Neopolitan used to...she was forced to work for some awful people."

"How awful?"

"She was a hitman."

Yang stayed silent. Ren looked up at her as the information sank in.

"She was adopted from an orphanage at a young age. From what I understand, her semblance was strong, and her...employers needed someone like that."

"Is that why her eyes change colour? Her semblance?"

"Yes."

Yang sighed sharply and waited for Ren to continue. He did, and the sympathy in his voice was palpable.

"She developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and depression. Once she realised what they were making her do, what state they had raised her to be in, she questioned them and tried to escape."

"Let me guess - she couldn't."

"No, she couldn't. They caught her and punished her by taking away her ability to speak."

"Is that why..."

"Yes, that's why."

Ren looked up at Yang, whose eyes were turning alarmingly red. He had heard about Yang and her capacity to be furious. In this situation, she had every right to be, but he didn't need _two_ crazed girls on his hands right now.

"Yang, please calm down. There's nothing you can do."

"Sure there is. I can beat the living crap out of them."

"Alone? And what good would that do?"

"Ever heard of a thing called revenge?"

"It won't get Neo her voice back. I doubt it would even make her feel better."

Yang cracked her knuckles in frustration and flexed her fingers.

"It would definitely make _me_ feel better."

"Yang, please. Listen to me. Neo wouldn't want you to do this."

"How would you know?"

"Because I was her carer when she first came here. Before I got promoted to the front desk, I took care of her. I got to know her. She's not the vengeful type."

Ren watched as Yang sighed, the tension visibly leaving her body. Her eyes turned back to her usual lilac, and he wasn't scared she'd punch a hole in the wall anymore.

"Fine. What can I do?"

"You can go home and relax. We can deal with it and get her back to normal soon."

"Are you sure I can't -"

"I'm sure." Ren stood and put his hands in his pockets, his face apologetic. "We need to figure out what triggered her attack. Until we do, you need to go home and rest."

"Okay. I'll be here tomorrow at 9am."

"We'll call -"

"I said I'll be here tomorrow at 9am." Yang cut him off, her voice sharp as she turned and left. She refused to sit idly by while Neo suffered like this. Not only was it her job to help, but she felt a strange connection to her, and she wouldn't let that go.

 

When she got home, Yang made herself a milkshake and settled down on her sofa, her phone next to her. She hoped that Ren would call her if anything happened. Until then, she figured she'd have something to eat or drink and then work out for a while.

She had a long and tense afternoon ahead of her.


	4. Chapter 4

_The blade entered the man's heart with a sickening squelch._

_She watched as the life left his bloodshot eyes and left nothing but a cold sheen over his sweaty skin, a reminder that this body used to be a person and not just a slab of  meat on the dirty concrete._

_Neo twisted the blade one last time before pulling it out, watching as the blood shone in the moonlight._

_'Good job.' Said the woman behind her. She put a hand on her shoulder. Neo smiled and sheathed her blade._

_'Thank you.'_

Neo awoke with a start, her heart pounding. Her breathing was rapid and the covers clung to her as she sat up. She pushed them off. The tears came fast, rolling down her cheeks and stinging her eyes.

Another dream, another victim she didn't want to remember.

Wiping her eyes, she stood up, her knees shaking as she made her way to the window. She pushed it open as far as it would go, gulping down the cold air as soon as it reached her. She hadn't had one of these dreams for weeks now. She thought she was getting better. Neo leaned on the windowsill, pressing her hot forehead to the cool glass. The attack yesterday must have triggered it.

Unexpectedly, she thought of Yang.

What did she think of her now that she saw her instability? Somebody must have told her what she'd done, why she was here. Neo could tell Yang was the curious type. She wouldn't have rested until somebody told her about her past. She must hate Neo now.

Neo felt another wave of sadness hit her as she realised that Yang wouldn't be coming back.

She closed her eyes and tried to focus on why she was feeling this way. Why was she attached to a stranger? Perhaps it was because she was the only one who didn't give up on her after the first ten minutes. Perhaps it was the way Yang didn't jump when she looked her in the eye. She'd had nurses who'd refused to look in her general direction. Yang wasn't like that.

The girl sniffed and slid down to the floor, hugging her knees. Somehow when she thought about Yang the blade and the blood and the murder seemed further away.

She hoped Yang would come back.

 

*

 

"Bright and early today, Yang?"

"You know it."

Yang ignored the way Pyrrha looked at her. She probably knew what was going on. Pyrrha handed her the register and watched as she wrote her name down, neither of them saying a word until Yang looked up at her as she put the pen down on the counter.

"Aren't you gonna tell me I'm being an idiot?" She asked, watching as Pyrrha slowly shook her head.

"I'm sure you know what you're doing."

"Thanks, Pyrrha."

"No problem, Yang."

 

They both smiled. Then Yang began her walk to 13C just like yesterday, but this time armed with two packets of Skittles skilfully hidden in her pockets. When she passed Ren, she gave him a wave and a good morning, which he returned. He didn't try to stop her as she walked down to Neo's room and knocked on the door.

After waiting for a moment, she walked in, smiling.

 

Neo was sitting on the bed, her legs drawn up underneath her. A large knitted jumper lay baggily around her small frame, and a box of tissues was next to her.

"Good morning, sunshine."

Neo's head shot up at the sound of Yang's voice, a full smile lighting up her face. Yang ignored the way it filled her stomach with butterflies.

"You're smiling!" Yang exclaimed, grinning as she pulled up a chair and sat down in her spot. "Look, I got you something."

Neo watched as she pulled a bag of something out of her pocket, chucking it at her. It landed next to her on the bed. Neo picked it up and read the label.

"We're not supposed to bring food to you guys but I thought you might need something sweet." Yang stage-whispered, opening her own packet.

Neo looked down at the bag of Skittles, feeling ridiculously grateful.

"You like them?"

Neo looked up at her, her mouth opening and closing with the words she couldn't say. Yang watched her for a moment before holding up a hand.

"Wait. I'll be right back."

She ran out of the room. A second later she was back, holding a notepad and a pen.

"Here." She handed them to Neo, who took them carefully. She looked at Yang for a moment before writing,

_'I'm not meant to use pens.'_

"Why the hell not?" Yang asked, looking confused as Neo wrote,

_'I could hurt someone.'_

"That's bullcrap. You won't hurt me."

Neo had expected Yang to look worried or cautious, but instead she kicked her feet up on the edge of the bed and chewed on a Skittle.

"So, do you like the Skittles? Or should I bring something else next time?"

Next time? Neo smiled down at the notepad as she wrote,

_'No, I like Skittles. Although I do miss ice cream.'_

"They don't give you ice cream?" Yang asked, shocked. Neo chewed on a Skittle and held up a finger, motioning for her to wait as she wrote,

_'They do, but I don't like to eat in the cafeteria.'_

"Don't they bring some to you?"

_'The desert's usually gone before a nurse brings me my lunch.'_

Yang stopped, her face incredulous.

"Okay that's it, today I'm gonna go get lunch for the both of us, and I'm gonna get you the biggest bowl of ice cream I can possibly carry."

Neo smiled, shaking her head.

"Honestly, I'll even terrorise the cook if you want me to."

Yang watched as Neo wrote something down on her notepad and held it up.

_'I couldn't thank you enough, but please don't terrorise the cook. He makes an awfully good shepherd's pie.'_

Yang laughed, making Neo smile too.

"Okay, fine, I won't scare him too much. Just enough to get me a bowl the size of Jupiter."

 

They spent the whole morning talking, Yang trading stories of her life and what it was like at Beacon, and Neo trading stories of what it was like inside the ward. Neither of them ever mentioned Neo's life before she was admitted into VCH. Or Yang's sister. They were taboo topics ever since the attack yesterday.

Until Yang came back with their lunch, armed with a huge bowl of Neapolitan ice cream.

"I thought I'd get you something...suitable." Yang grinned as Neo shook her head, fighting off a smile.

_'Hilarious.'_

"Thanks, I try, I try."

Neo put the dessert to the side and started on her lunch first. She looked up to see Yang eating her own dessert, a slice of chocolate cake.

_'You're meant to leave dessert for last.'_

"Alright, mother." Yang sniggered at Neo's expression and took up her plate of lasagne.

They sat in silence for a while, focusing on their food. Then Yang looked up, her face uncharacteristically serious.

"Can I ask you something?"

Neo nodded hesitantly.

"How many people did you kill?"

A sharp silence descended on the room. Neo froze, her eyes fixed on her plate.

"Sorry, that was -"

Neo shrugged, the motion barely visible, but Yang saw.

"You don't know?" She asked quietly, her voice sad.

Neo glanced up at her and looked back down as a confirmation.

"Do you remember any of them?"

Neo slowly took up her notepad and began to write.

_'I have dreams. I don't want to remember the things I did, but the memories come anyway.'_

Her hands shook and her stomach dropped as all the scenes replayed in her mind. All the blood, all the families she destroyed. She watched as Yang nodded, her eyes still sad.

"I have nightmares too."

Neo's heart wrenched as Yang sighed deeply, her eyes shining with tears.

"I try to forget it, but who am I kidding, it's impossible. I miss her so much." She smiled at the floor, but there was no joy in it.

The other girl's hands tightened around the notepad.

_'I'm sorry.'_

"So am I...you know, she wanted to be a huntress so badly. She even convinced our uncle to help her build her own weapon." Yang laughed quietly. "That's why she was there in the first place - she wanted to help."

_'What happened?'_

"There was an accident." Yang swallowed tightly.

Neo felt tears gather in her eyes.

"Out on the road by her school. Two rival gangs were fighting right there in the square. You know the one by that candy store?"

Yang looked up as Neo nodded and then continued.

"Anyway, she ran out, her dumb makeshift sword ready. It was only wood, I have no idea what she was thinking. She was caught right in the middle of it."

Yang grew quiet, her voice wavering as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Like a goddamn lamb to the slaughter."

 

Neo reached forward, gently placing her hand on Yang's. Compared to hers, the girl's hands were boiling hot, but neither of them flinched. Instead, Yang turned her palm up and threaded their fingers together, getting up and sitting down next to her.

Her breath trembling, Neo listened to her cry helplessly, her eyes fixed on the carpet as Yang sobbed next to her.

Maybe she could help her. Maybe she could help someone, even with what she'd done in the past. Ofcourse she couldn't bring Ruby back, nobody could.

But maybe she could help Yang let her go.


	5. Chapter 5

"So how was your day with Neopolitan?" Coco asked, putting her phone down on the table.

"Not bad. I made her smile." Yang grinned and took a sip of her drink.

"It's like you're in love or something, honestly."

"Shut up!" Yang threw a crumpled up napkin at her, watching as she dodged it perfectly.

"Your aim is getting lousy, love-bird."

"I'm not in love with her!"

"Someone's sounding a little defensive."

"I'm being serious!"

Coco picked up her phone, shooting Yang a look that said she didn't believe her. The blonde girl rolled her eyes and slumped back in her chair, taking another drink as she looked around the cafe.

It was the end of the day, and the place was packed. Students from all the surrounding schools were coming to buy something sweet and hot to warm them up from the December weather, employees from the neighbouring establishments were there for a break, and families were dragging their red-cheeked children into the warm.

Coco and Yang were waiting for Velvet, who was just finishing her shift at the Medical Centre down the road.

"She says she's on her way."

"Cool." Yang replied. "Anyway, what's going on with you and Fox?"

"What does it matter?" Coco snapped back, making Yang hide her smile behind her cup.

"No reason." She watched as Coco typed angrily on her phone, her face obviously trying to hide something. "But seriously."

"Fine. He says he wants to move to Atlas to continue his research." Coco slammed her phone down on the table as Yang gasped.

"What? For how long?"

"At least 12 months. Can you believe that?"

"Crap..."

"Yeah, that's a word for it." Coco said, looking furious as she crossed her arms. "Damn geologists, so self-righteous."

"I'm sure he's just excited, maybe you can calm him down or -"

"I can't!" Coco shouted. She glanced at the cafe apologetically before lowering her voice. "This is such a great opportunity for him. They've discovered a new volcano or something up in Vacuo. His boss hinted at a raise and everything."

"But he can't leave without you." Yang said, watching as Coco sighed and shook her head.

"Yeah, he can, all of his family's there."

"Let me talk to him, maybe I can -"

 

Yang was interrupted by the sound of Coco's phone vibrating once on the table.

"Is it him?"

Coco picked it up, reading the text. Frowning, she shook her head.

"No, it's Velvet. She says she can't come, they were called out on an emergency call."

"What? Is it bad?" Yang leaned forward, watching worriedly as Coco typed a reply.

"I'm asking her."

They waited in tense silence for her reply. It seemed to stretch on forever before, at long last, Coco's phone vibrated again.

"What is it?"

"She says it's at the care home. Someone was hurt."

Yang's mind flew to Neo and she got up immediately, leaving her stuff on the table as she ran out of the cafe, headed straight for her workplace. She ignored Coco's shouts behind her, focused only on her destination. Worry coursed through her veins. The last time she'd been this worried, something very bad had happened.

The streets and people blurred past her as she rushed through the city, running across roads and shoving through crowds. Boots thumping on the pavement, there was only one thought on her mind: Neo.

 

At last when she got to the care home she pushed past a paramedic blocking her way, her mind racing at the possibilities. The lights of the ambulance flashed into the reception area, and she ignored Pyrrha shouting her name. Yang burst through the doors of the left wing, her body filling with dread as she saw more paramedics. She noted with distraction that Ren was nowhere to be seen.

Gasping for breath, she reached Neo's room and pushed the door open, her body on red alert, ready for anything but fearing the worst.

Neo looked up at her from the bed, her eyes silver, her body flinching back. She sighed with relief once she saw that it was Yang, her body relaxing and her eyes returning to brown and pink.

"Are you hurt? Is everything okay?" Yang rushed over. She kneeled down before her, taking her shoulders.

Neo nodded quickly. Yang hugged her tightly, her eyes squeezing shut.

"I was so scared." She whispered.

Neo hesitantly raised her arms and placed them around her, her cold fingers warming up. Yang sighed, her breath trembling.

"I thought you were hurt, I thought you had an attack or someone hurt you. I was so scared."

They pulled away and Yang sat back on her heels. Neo took up her notepad and wrote,

_'It's okay, I'm fine. It wasn't me today.'_

She smiled, a poor attempt at humour, but Yang just blinked at her. Neo continued,

_'It was a boy down in Corridor A, Neptune.'_

Yang sat up on the bed and read over her shoulder as she scribbled quickly,

_'He tried to drown himself when he went to the bathroom. His carer broke down the door and had to resuscitate him.'_

"Holy crap, is he okay?"

_'Neither of them are. I'm not sure which is in the worst state.'_

They looked at each other worriedly, Yang biting her lip as she thought.

"Would you mind if I went to help? I think Pyrrha's gonna kill me if I don't."

Neo shook her head.

"Thanks. I'll be back later, okay?" Yang got up but stopped as if she was going to say something. Neo looked up at her. Then Yang smiled and quickly left, closing the door behind her with a soft click.

Sighing, Neo leaned back on her bed, resting her head against the wall as she listened to the noise outside. Learning that Yang was worried about her filled her with a strange sort of comfort.

 

*

 

"Hey." Yang said, sitting down next to the man. She noted the shock blanket around his shoulders and the way he had his head in his hands. Clasping her hands together infront of her, she leaned on her knees and looked out across the parking lot.

"Sun, right?"

The guy nodded and she continued.

"What you did today, that was brave. It takes a lot of guts. You did good, okay?"

"It's not enough." Sun said, shaking his head.

"Ofcourse it is, Neptune's alive. That's all that matters, right?"

"You don't get it." He lifted his head, his eyes filled with pain. "I couldn't stop him, I couldn't give him hope. Now he's gonna hate me because I brought him back."

His breath hitched with a sob. Yang put an arm around his shoulders, letting him lean into her as he cried.

"I'm so selfish, I couldn't let him go. Now he's gonna hate me."

"It's okay." She said softly, sending Pyrrha a sad look through the front entrance. She pursed her lips with a pitying look and turned back to the paramedic she was talking to.

"He's gonna hate me." Sun sobbed.

Yang pulled away, pulling the shock blanket closer around him and rubbing his shoulders.

"I'm gonna go talk to him, okay?"

"Tell him I'm sorry." Sun said, sniffing. Yang nodded and began walking to the ambulance, where a group of paramedics were loading up their kit. She spotted Velvet's ears and hurried in her direction.

 

"Hey, Velvet."

"Hi Yang." Velvet said, her face sad as she looked up at her. "Terrible, isn't it?"

"I know. Look, I was hoping to find Neptune?"

Velvet frowned, looking worried as she pulled Yang away from her co-workers.

"I'm not meant to let people talk to him."

"I need to. Sun's in a really bad shape right now, I was hoping that I could deliver a message for him."

"I don't know..."

"Please, Vee." Yang watched as the other girl sighed and closed her eyes.

"He's in the left wing medical room."

"Thank you."

Yang started jogging, only slowing down when she reached the door of the medical room. It was open, and she saw another carer sitting with a blue-haired boy who was in a really bad shape. Water dripped off the ends of his hair, but his clothes were dry. The carer looked up as she entered.

"You're not meant -"

"I have special permission." Yang said, picking up the ID card hanging around her neck and waving it infront of her. "Can we talk alone?"

The carer left hesitantly, handing Neptune the towel she'd been holding earlier. When Yang heard the door creak closed, she sat down next to him.

"Sun's really worried about you, you know."

Neptune sniffed and turned the towel over in his hands.

"He says he's sorry."

"So am I. I didn't want him to see." Neptune whispered. Yang could tell that it hurt his throat to talk.

" Neptune, I'm not being patronising when I say that I know how you feel. I felt like that at one point." Yang focused on the floor, but she saw Neptune look up at her. "When my little sister died, I thought about it. You know, the big 'it'. But I didn't do it."

"Why not?"

"I thought about my family. It may have been the easiest way out for me, but not for them. And as much as I wanted to, I couldn't leave them behind. I would have hated myself even more."

Neptune look down at his feet.

"Look, I'm not calling you selfish. I swear to God that's the most irritating argument against it that I've heard. But I'm trying to tell you that Sun deeply cares about you. I know it feels like you're alone. But if he didn't care, he wouldn't have did what he did."

Yang stood up, motioning with her head to the door.

"Come on. He needs you as much as you need him."

 

Yang took him outside, ignoring the protests from the paramedics and the carers. Pyrrha was the only one who didn't say anything.

Sun ran to him, pulling him into a hug straight away. That's when Neptune broke down crying. They all watched as they apologised to each other, more than half of them shedding some tears as the two men had kissed in the falling snow. Sun took the shock blanket from around his shoulders and wrapped it around Neptune, remarking how his hair was dripping wet and he was going to catch a cold standing outside like this.

Yang smiled at the image of them standing like that, their shadows dancing in the ambulance lights. Then she was reminded of Neo, and how it could easily have been them. She swore to herself that she wouldn't let that happen. She wouldn't lose someone else she cared about.

 

It was only when she went back to Neo's room and found the girl asleep, her fingers curled around her notepad, that Yang realised that she was falling in love.

Smiling, she pressed a kiss to her head and pulled the covers up around her, putting the notepad on the bedside table. She switched off the light and closed the curtains, making sure that Neo wasn't having another nightmare before leaving.

She wouldn't lose her.


	6. Chapter 6

_Neo darted out of the way as bullets flew towards her, using her umbrella as a shield. She kicked one of her enemies into the line of fire and dodged a blade. She focused on her footing and the people closing in around her._

_Another explosion, another siren speeding closer._

_The other rebel group was closing in, but her team were stronger. She pushed her blade through the heart of an unconscious enemy then returned to the fight, dodging hits and aiming strikes as quick as lightning._

_The city bustled around her. She heard the police arrive, an officer running to her as she killed another one. She knocked him out immediately._

_Away from the fight, she heard a scream, distracting her. Kicking a man in the face, she used his body to roll away from another bullet._

_Her eyes found the source of the sound: a girl was struggling with one of her team mates, repeatedly hitting him with a sword and speeding around him._

_Neo knocked out another enemy and was over there in a flash, knocking her aside. She ignored the sound her skull made as it crashed against the concrete. She stabbed her just to be sure, cursing her team mate for being such an idiot as to be beaten by a little girl._

_She kicked him in the crotch and rejoined the fight without a second thought._

 

Neo woke up sobbing, an icy horror piercing her in the heart.

She recognised the girl.

For once, she recognised one of her victims, and she wished to God she hadn't.

The guilt tore through her like a jagged knife as she screamed, the pain rushing through her. Almost immediately there were carers surrounding her, holding her down as she thrashed. Stabbing, slicing, crushing.

Someone pushed a needle in her arm, but she didn't black out yet. The memory was still fresh and bleeding inside of her.

She screamed again, pure anguish rushing through her.

 

She did it.

She killed Ruby.


	7. Chapter 7

"What the hell happened?!" Yang demanded. Her head was clouded with worry as she looked at Ren, whose face was filled with pity.

"She had a huge panic attack. She must have remembered something bad."

"I want to see her."

_I need to see her._

"You can't -"

"I don't care! Let me in!" Yang shouted, her fist slamming down on the desk hard enough to crack the thick wood.

"I don't have permission to -"

"Then get permission or I swear I'll kick the damn door down!" She threatened. Ren looked as scared as she'd ever seen him as he swallowed and handed her the key to her room.

Yang snatched it away and took off running, not stopping until she was at the door. She fumbled with the key, and after twisting it, she took a collected breath and opened the door.

 

Neo was curled up in the corner of the room, her small body shaking with sobs.

Yang knelt down infront of her, pulling her into a hug. She was shocked when Neo pulled away, her face filled with horror.

"Neo?"

Neo shook her head, heart-wrenching squeaks leaving her throat as she cried even harder. She pushed herself further into the corner, plastering herself against the wall.

"What's wrong?"

Tears filled Yang's eyes as Neo put her head in her hands, hiding behind her knees.

"Neo..."

Neo shook her head, over and over and over.

Yang stayed still for a moment, her arms held out helplessly, before running to the bedside table and bringing her the notebook and pen. She felt the carpet burn on her knees but the pain of seeing Neo like this hurt much, much more.

"Here, write it down."

Neo made another effort to squeeze into the corner. Yang held out the notepad, her voice breaking.

"Please, Neo."

Neo looked up, her face red from crying so much. She took them with trembling hands. Clicking the pen on, she dropped it on the floor, and Yang hurriedly handed it back to her. She felt a tear slide down her face as Neo flinched but took it from her.

Shakily, Neo wrote,

_'I'm so sorry.'_

"Sorry...? Neo, what's going on?" Yang whispered. Neo's face was a mask of pain, and her heart broke.

_'I killed Ruby.'_

 

Yang's world seem to come to a stop as that sentence landed in her heart like a stone.

She let out a soft wail of pain as she sobbed, her hands moving forward to touch Neo's face.

"No, no, no..." Yang cried, her words slurred with sobs.

Neo shrank away from her hands and turned her face to the wall.

"No, it wasn't you, it couldn't have been you..."

Yang curled in on herself, crying as she remembered.

The funeral, the black coffin, the single rose she lay on top of the lacquered wood. They couldn't show her body, they said it was too injured.

The stale air of the church, the crying of her father as he collapsed onto the marble floor.

The bloody school clothes and the broken wooden sword that they'd burned in their back yard.

Yang throwing up in the bathroom, unable to get the picture of her sister's blood out of her mind.

Waking up the next morning and walking into Ruby's room, finding her father collapsed on the floor surrounded by empty bottles of alcohol.

Her own emptiness, the dark pit inside of her that seemed to grow every hour she spent without her little sister.

And the hate she had had for the person responsible. Even the guilt couldn't outweigh that.

But that was years ago, and this was Neo. _This was Neo and it wasn't her fault._

 

Yang sat up and shuffled closer to the girl, tugging her into a hug. She didn't let go as Neo tried to weakly push away.

"Listen to me, okay? Are you listening?"

Neo nodded. Yang sniffed, trying to control her breathing as she cradled Neo.

"I forgive you. I love you, Goddamnit, and I forgive you."

The girl in her arms sobbed as she wound her arms around Yang's back, holding her close. Then she pulled away and reached for her notepad.

_'I love you too. I'm so sorry.'_

Yang pressed a messy kiss to her lips and her cheeks, kissing the tears away.

"I love you, okay?"

Neo put her arms around Yang's neck and buried her face in her shoulder, her body still shaking with sobs but Yang was glad to see they were slowing down.

"It's okay, Neo, it's okay." She sniffed, leaning them back against the wall. Her fingers ran through Neo's hair, combing until they were both calmer.

"I forgive you."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! x


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